Lance Armstrong food for training

What does a champion cyclist like Lance Armstrong eat to stay in shape and get an optimum performance? Like a runner, cyclists need to eat foods that give them energy and endurance. They also have to change their foods throughout the training period based on their training schedule.

Lance Armstrong has been training with Chris Carmichael since 1990. Carmichael is a former cyclist who created the Carmichael Training System to help cyclists like Lance Armstrong eat the right foods for their best performance on the bike. The type of program Carmichael developed is called Periodization. "Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are tied together and linked to how you perform," says Carmichael. On top of eating more calories as your training intensifies, the ratio of carbohydrates to fats to proteins in your diet needs to change as well. "If you are training for a half-marathon, for example, you need a greater percentage of carbohydrates in your diet than if you're just running for fitness," he explains. Like Lance Armstrong, when you're at the peak of your training, it's important to increase the percentage of carbs in your diet from about 60 to 70 percent to ensure you're giving your body enough fuel to enhance your workouts.

When looking at this guide - I substituted Megafruit baby pineapple, lychee, and mangosteen in place of the fruits. Megafruit is made up of healthy carbohydrates that are free of sulfites and sugar. It is an all natural alternative to other carbohydrates. Check us out on Amazon.com.

Here is a Periodization For Idiots guide from Chris Carmichael from the Eat Like A Champion article written by Kristen Wolfe Bieler from the August 2004 issue of Runner's World.

How do you apply the principles of periodization to your diet without complex nutrient calculations? Remember that the concept of eating more carbs during your heaviest training is more important than trying to adhere to specific numbers.

But when you're upping the miles, adding just one of these mini meals per day gives you the extra carbs you need to keep running strong.

1 cup vanilla yogurt + 1 cup fresh fruit (60 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides over 40 percent of your daily calcium needs

1 cup orange juice + 1 banana (52 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: packs almost 200 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C

1 slice banana nut bread + 1 cup skim milk (about 45 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: gives you 25 percent of the Daily Value for calcium

1 PowerBar energy bar + 8 oz PowerBar Endurance sports drink (62 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides plenty of sodium and potassium to keep you well hydrated

Smoothie of 2 cups skim or soy milk + 1 1/2 cups strawberries + 2 Tbsp soy
protein (about 50 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contributes about 5 grams of fiber

1 1/2 cups multigrain cereal + 1 1/2 cups skim milk (54 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contains over 100 percent of the Daily Value for iron

1 bagel + 1 banana + 1 Tbsp nut butter (about 75 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides 12 grams of protein